The Clackamas River: a high-quality source

The Clackamas River is an extremely high-quality, raw water source. Its headwaters are Timothy and Ollalie Lakes, located high up in the Mount Hood National Park area. Several other small tributary mountain streams also contribute to the river's flow.

Turning river water into drinking water

Drinking water for OLWS is pumped to the Allen F. Herr treatment plant in Oregon City, where it goes through one of two different treatment techniques: slow sand filtration or membrane filtration. Watch this video to find out more about how these treatment techniques work!

We jointly own the treatment facility as members of the North Clackamas County Water Commission (NCCWC), along with Sunrise Water Authority and the City of Gladstone. Before the plant's completion in 1999, Oak Lodge purchased water from another jurisdiction.

Membrane filtration was added in 2005, a state-of-the-art treatment technique that filters water through a series of small tubes with openings one micron in size. The resulting ultrafiltered water allows for ample supply even when river turbidities rise due to heavy debris in the river during the winter months.

Have questions about your water?

Email us at info@olws.org or call (503) 654-7765. You can also read our latest water quality report.